A picture is worth a thousand words. Images are not only captured by eyes at a fast pace but also retained in memory for quite a long period of time. Images are captured by eyes as a snapshot whereas words are traced line by line, fed into the brain and virtual images are mapped for the words in mind. This process takes some time.
Hence, optimization of pictures in web pages will not only enhance the readership of your blog site but also keep you in the forefront of search engines. Let us check how we can optimize images on your blogs both for visitors and search engines.
1. Optimized images bring optimum search results
When the images on your blogs are search engine optimized, your blog page rank goes up. When you have good page ranks, your blog attracts good volume of traffic. As the traffic goes up, your blogs get more publicity and you can gain more through Google Adsense, Affiliate marketing and other sources.
2. Images exchanged for links
You can also go for a deal with parties who require images from your blog post and in return build a link from their sites. Link building will yield you more in the long run. You can go for exchange with reputed websites. We do this on our discount coupon blog that features Jupiter images and istockphoto discount coupons.
3. Type of images
Coming to the type of images to be deployed on your blogs, JPG and GIF file formats fare better in search engines compared to PNG files.
4. Optimized filenames
While naming files, it is advisable to include the keyword in the filename. If there is more than one word in the filename, you can use hyphens or underscore as word delimiter. Between hyphen and underscore, hyphen will fare better with search engines. And, when you are required to use the same filename for more than one image, you can suffix digits like 1,2,3, etc.
5. Usage of Alt Text
It is a fine art to balance both your blog site visitors and search engines. With a well calculated approach, you will be able to justify your readers by including the most appropriate keyword in the Alt Text.
Proper descriptive text can be embedded in Alt Text to convey meaning to visitors who cannot see images on the screen if the links are broken or due to other technical issues. Content Management Software like WordPress offer free plugins to take care of Alt text which is search engine optimized.
6. Image size
Image size should be search engine optimized. It is advisable to go for not too big or not too small images. Ideally, you can deploy images of size between 100 x 100 and 1200 x 1200 pixel resolution.
7. Number of images per blog
You should also balance the number of images per blog. Adding of too many images will not only annoy your audience but also may lead to getting less ranking in search engines. On the other hand, adding of too many blogs will take more time to load in the web browser.
8. Image caption
You can also optimize the image caption. Sometimes, image captions take the stand of image in the conveyance of information. Captions can through a better light on image by giving a new direction or a new sense. Hence, initial words of image caption can be optimized to capture more audience.
9. Apprehension of Override
Some bloggers are averse to optimize images in their blogs due to the fear of being overridden or being copied or stolen. If you have a reason to capitalize high volume of traffic from your blog post, you can undermine the thought of losing control on your images. The revenue generated from the traffic lets you invest more to throw more imaginative metaphors in the future.
10. Relevance of image optimization in search engines
Unlike word matching, image matching is not possible with search engines in its strictest connotation. To find words with a matching text, search engines perform the job by comparing character by character. The same logic of comparing pixel by pixel is not applied when coming to image searching adopted by search engines.
Hence, images are to be optimized for search engine findings by using optimized text in all occasions of association of text with an image. Optimized images will appear first in search results.
Have you optimized images for both search engines and your audience?
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About the Author:
This is an article from Jane Sheeba of ProBlogging Success. Jane understands the importance of using images in a blog post. She recommends Jupiter Images and offers a coupon for iStockphoto. Jupiter Images and iStockphoto are two great sources of inspiring images that bloggers can use to bring more value to their blog posts.
Typical geek, night owl, gadget freak, budding entrepreneur, WordPress & Ruby enthusiast.